


blind without them

by katfoxmandu



Series: The Glasses Dont Help [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-09-15 14:53:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9240005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katfoxmandu/pseuds/katfoxmandu
Summary: Glasses are a simple enough disguise.A series of one-shots where Lena discovers Kara's secret identity.No thanks to the glasses.





	1. First Kiss, First Look

Kara Danvers awkwardly ambles towards the door of Lena Luthor’s office, adjusting her glasses as she goes. Her flushed cheeks clearly visible from where Lena stands across the office. 

The interview, if that’s what you want to call it, had gone well. Snapper’s wish for L-Corp’s stance on technocratic methods of development in the Global South had lasted all of five minutes before turning to a more casual conversation between the reporter and CEO. It wasn’t until an urgent phone call from Alex nearly two hours later did Kara reluctantly pack up her barely-used notepad and make to leave. Lena had stopped her, pulling her closer and placing a gentle kiss on Kara’s lips. 

Kara had longed to stay. She found herself returning the kiss, pressing forward into Lena, her hands gripping her waist. Continuous vibrations and several missed calls later, Kara pulled away. “I…I have to go… I don’t want to…but I…”

Lena smiled, “Dinner?”

Kara returned the smile, bright and wide, “Dinner.”

She gets out a few ‘good bye Lena’s” and a couple “thank you’s” before turning to catch the door knob. The door, however, reaches her half-way as it swings open to slam Kara in the face, her glasses tumbling to the floor. 

Lena lets out a sharp gasp, “Oh my God, Kara…!”

Kara stumbles backwards, her hands instantly moving upwards to cover her face.

“Miss Luthor, there’s a ca…Miss Danvers! I’m so sorry!” Jess emerges from the other side of the door, stepping towards Kara, and at the same time hearing a CRUNCH from beneath her foot.  
“Oh no. Kara,” Jess pauses, one hand still outstretched, the other reaching down for the broken glasses. 

Kara panics, her hands still holding her ‘broken’ nose, “No no, Jess, everything’s fine.”

“There’s no blood, is there? Is it broken? I’m sorry, Miss Danvers, I had no idea you were there…”

Lena is already on her feet and walking quickly towards the scene, “Let me see it, Kara, if it’s broken...” she reaches Kara’s side, one hand coming to rest on Kara’s elbow.  
Kara slights at Lena’s touch, not expecting it, but not minding it either, “Lena, you guys, really, I’m ok…I’ll just…bathroom?” Kara mumbles from behind her hands.  
Jess directs Kara down the hall, and not skipping another beat, Kara is gone, her hands clutching her nose.

++++

Kara stands in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her nose? It’s fine. Not broken. Not even a trace that the incident had even happened. Her stress? Through the roof. Damn her hair choice today: her long blonde hair down in soft waves, eerily similar to the way she styles it as Supergirl. Without her glasses, she’d be instantly recognizable. Well…to anyone with a brain and eyes. And Lena Luthor definitely has all of those things.

Kara sighs and grips the sink.  
Think. Think. Think.

She had already considered just flying home, but the bathroom has no windows. The only way out is passing by Lena’s office and a super sonic boom in an office building isn’t suspicious at all…  
Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

There’s a soft rap on the bathroom door and Kara tenses. The sink cracks slightly beneath her hands.  
Shit. Shit. Shit.

Another knock.

“Kara?” Lena’s voice comes from the other side of the door, “Kara? Is everything ok?”  
The door starts to open and Kara replaces her hands to cover her nose as Lena enters with a first-aid kit in her hands.  
“I found it! I’ve got a few things in here, but I’m not sure it’ll be of much help. I’m a physicist at heart, not a doctor, but I can get you a ride to the hospital…” Lena rambles as she steps closer to Kara, whose eyes have grown wide. “Unfortunately the glasses are beyond repair.”

Kara moves to speak, pauses, before muttering, “It’s not broken, I’ll be fine, I think I’ll head home.”

“Are you sure? Kara, you haven’t moved your hands since Jess hit you,” Lena sets the first-aid kit on the counter. Kara shuffles sideways to hide the broken sink from Lena’s view, but it doesn’t work. Lena sees the large cracks and confusion settles on her face. 

“I’m sure. Very sure. My sister is a doctor, she can patch me up I’ll be normal in no time. Completely normal. That’s me, very normal.“

Lena watches Kara, her eyebrows furrow at the long explanation, her eyes darting back to the sink then again to Kara.  
Kara inhales sharply, quickly ending her rant as Lena steps even closer, her fingers gently taking Kara’s wrists and lowering them. “Kara, what’s going on?” A small smile plays on Lena’s lips as she removes Kara’s hands from her ‘broken’ nose. It quickly disappears when she sees Kara’s face.

No blood.  
No broken nose.  
Just Supergirl.  
And a broken sink.


	2. First night, First Look

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo  
> I'm very sorry if you became attached to the first chapter. I've decided, while riding the bus to church this morning, to turn this into a series of independent events wherein Lena finds out Kara is Supergirl because of an incident with her glasses.  
> So each chapter is unrelated, plot-wise.  
> Yet still related...  
> Yeah?  
> Yeah.

It had become a sort of routine, a game that Lena Luthor and Kara Danvers would play, with unspoken rules and silent agreements. 

The near weekly lunches between reporter and CEO had been going on for a few months. Gradually, the lunches spilled over into dinners. Dinners spread into late-night movies on Kara’s couch.

But Lena never stayed the night. Kara’s loft was everything Lena had dreamt of as a little girl. It was full of spontaneity and light, evidence of Kara’s character, from the whimsical decorations to the open windows overlooking mid-town. A stark contrast to the Luthor mansion, all darkness and closed curtains. 

As soon as the movie would end, Lena would dutifully extract herself from one of Kara’s many blankets, grab her things, and catch a cab home to her apartment. Of course there were lingering touches and caught gazes. Eyes fluttering towards open mouths. Fingers that swept across thighs. Racing heartbeats. Short breaths. 

But Lena never stayed the night.  
++++

Dinner hadn’t been normal. Looking across the table, Lena observed a quieter Kara, as though she’d been dialed down a few notches from her usually bubbly self. The smiles were still there, along with the flirtatious adjustment of her glasses. The long-winded ramblings weren’t quite so long-winded, however. The smiles never reached her eyes.

Kara’s whole week hadn’t been normal. An over-abundance of alien attacks had worn her thin, exhausting her both physically and mentally. Not to mention the high workload from Snapper Carr on top of Supergirl’s DEO responsibilities. Kara was simply tired. A human trait she rarely experienced. Today, however, it was all catching up with her.

Sitting across from Lena, she did her best to remain interested. Of course she’d never cancel! Their dinners were the only things she found herself looking forward to, despite how much she needed rest. Alex had insisted Kara stay behind at the DEO for a few extra hours under the sun lamps. Kara, against everyone’s insistence, had walked out, ten minutes to spare until her ‘date’ with Lena.

But even her strongest desires to spend time with Lena Luthor couldn’t keep Kara’s eyes open or her mind focused. Her laughs became more subdued, interjected to Lena’s stories at all the wrong moments. 

“Should we go?”

“What was that?” Kara refocuses her eyes and makes out a concerned Lena in front of her.

“I called a car, we should go. Come on.” Lena stands and takes Kara gently by the waist to steer her towards the exit. Kara doesn’t fight it, but let’s herself be guided out of the restaurant.

The town car is warm and comfortable. As soon as they’re seated, Kara leans into Lena. She smells like…like Krypton, she thinks. It’s the first moment she’s had to relax and she instantly takes advantage of it. Her eyes close and her breathing slows. Lena realizes this. Feels the unspoken rules start to breakdown. 

++++

Getting a half-conscious Kara up to her apartment was no small feat. By the time Lena has the superhero up the third flight of stairs, she’s sweating, and Kara is giggling.  
God, she’s not even drunk. Lena sighs.

Once inside the apartment, Lena directs Kara towards the couch. She’s about to deposit the exhausted girl onto the cushions when Kara shifts uncomfortably. 

“Nope. Nope. Bed. We’re going to bed.”

Lena’s throat catches. She watches as Kara throws herself onto the bed, not bothering to change or move underneath the covers. Within seconds, her breathing has deepened. More rules fall away as Lena slips out of her heels and makes her way towards the bed.

She starts with the shoes, removing the oxfords, smiling to herself as the shoe-less feet reveal mismatched Christmas socks. It’s April. Lena finds a blanket and places it over Kara. Last thing: glasses. Kara is lying on her side, her glasses awkwardly shifted on her face, nothing that screams comfort, Lena thinks. She reaches for them, careful not to wake the sleeping Kara. 

Once removed, Lena examines the frames. They’re unusually dirty with fingerprints and dirt smudges covering the lenses. How on earth does she see anything?  
Lena glances back to Kara, fast asleep, her chest slowly rising and falling. 

But it’s not Kara.  
It’s Supergirl.  
Fast asleep. Her chest slowly rising and falling.

Lena stayed the night.


	3. First Dance, First Look

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a presentation tomorrow  
> And all I can think of is various ways of removing glasses  
> Instead of earth systems science  
> So thanks

“It’s a cluuuub, Kara! No one dances in their grandmother’s sweaters and loafers,” Lena calls from her bed. She’s mindlessly sifting through a financial report as she waits for Kara to come out of the closet. 

In the literal sense.

Inside Lena’s massive walk-in closet, Kara fidgets with the strapless black dress she’s trying on. It hugs her body tightly. Too tight. She turns in the mirror, her hands sliding down her sides as she takes in the dress from all angles.  
Rao. This is too much. 

“Danvers. I’m waiting.”

Lena’s voice is verging on impatience even though the tone is kept light. Kara sighs and takes one last look in the mirror before stepping out in front of Lena. Her cheeks go red as Lena’s eyebrows raise, her lips pursed.

“No. Try the other one.”

Kara throws her hands up, “Lena, this is the tenth dress I’ve tried on!” she gestures wildly towards Lena’s own outfit. “What about you? You aren’t going in that, are you??” Kara realizes her mistake the instant the words are out of her mouth. Of course Lena’s wearing that. It’s perfect. She’s perfect.

Lena cocks her head and stands. The deep purple dress she’s wearing fits her snuggly, revealing plenty of thigh. Kara swallows, the plunging neckline teasing her, Rao she can’t keep her eyes off of it. Lena steps closer and Kara’s breath quickens. They’ve been dating for months but Lena seducing her is never something Kara can get used to. And Lena knows it. She gently lifts Kara’s chin until Kara’s forced to move her eyes from Lena’s chest to her eyes. 

“Try the blue,” Lena breathes. “It’s my favorite.” Lena kisses her, lingers for a moment on Kara’s lips, before stepping back and smiling. 

Kara nods numbly in return and retreats once again to the closet.

“And we’ll have to do something about those glasses! You don’t have contacts, do you? My God, you’re hot Danvers, but in that librarian sort of way. Tonight I need less Marian and more….more Scarlett Johansen,” Lena returns to the bed and opens back up the report. 

Inside the closet, Kara freezes. The blue dress waits for her but she can’t seem to move. In the months that they’d been seeing each other, Kara’s secret identity had never come up. Never been an issue. Her moonlighting job was just that. A job. Separate and distant from her personal life and relationships. Especially her relationship with Lena. 

“Kara, for the sake of all that is good, will you just put it on?”  
Lena sets down the report, no longer able to focus. No sounds come from the closet and Lena removes herself once again from the bed to take on her reluctant girlfriend. Getting Kara Danvers to go out is hard enough, but factoring in a dress that actually makes her look like a woman and not a 15 year-old girl just adds to the complexity. 

“You haven’t even put it on yet?” 

Lena walks in on a half-naked Kara who is still struggling to remove herself from the fabric of the black dress. She hops slightly, trying to prevent herself from falling over.  
“Kara, Kara, darling.” Lena quickly catches her by the shoulders, “That dress was more than your salary last year. Please don’t rip it.” Kara stops moving, mumbles an apology, and lets Lena slide the dress the rest of the way off. She steps out of the discarded black number and watches as Lena picks up the blue one. 

Lena twirls a finger, indicating that Kara needs to turn around.  
“I still cannot believe,” Lena begins as she puts the dress on Kara, pulling it up over her hips, “you have this body,” Lena pulls the zipper up the back and turns Kara back around to face her, “and never use it.”  
She steps back, obviously pleased with her handiwork, quickly adjusting a few creases near the hem. 

Kara faces the mirror. Lena was right. Of course. The blue dress fits perfectly, not too tight, revealing yet still hiding enough to keep one wondering.

“Well? Better?”

Kara reacts, “It was you who didn’t like the black one, I didn’t say a word!”

“Well, I knew you’d hate it…”

“Then what was the point of this!” Kara is exasperated. Trying on clothes at human speed, aka very slow, is not her favorite activity. Let alone Lena forcing her to try on every dress in her wardrobe for the past hour. She huffs, “You knew I’d wear the blue all along.”

Lena takes her by the wrists, her hands slowly moving up Kara’s arms, “What’s wrong with wanting an excuse to see that ass?”

Kara blushes, the redness from earlier returning to her face, “Fine. You win this one, Luthor.” She leans in, closing what little space was left between them. Lena accepts the kiss, but only for a moment before she breaks away.

“Ah. But one more victory…”  
Lena reaches up, “The glasses.”

Kara quickly backs away. The distance between her and Lena is suddenly tripled. “Uhh…you know…I’d rather not…I can’t see! Remember? I can’t see. No contacts. So I need them. I need them to see and if I’m not wearing them then I can’t see and I can’t see you and I want to see you so I should…”

Lena is quickly making up the ground Kara has put between them, ignoring her ramblings, while Kara backs up further into the wall.

“So I should…wear them…to see you.”

Kara’s voice peters out. She’s retreated against the wall with Lena planted firmly in front of her. Her face is one of amusement mixed with annoyance. 

“I think,” again, Lena reaches up, “you’ll be able to see me,” she slowly removes the glasses, “just fine.”

But she doesn’t see Kara.  
She sees Supergirl.  
In the blue dress.


	4. First Confession, First Look

Kara couldn’t remember how many times she had changed back and forth between herself and Supergirl. Seven? Eight times? Too many to keep track of, honestly. Thank goodness the gala was dying down and many of the guests were on their way out. 

Lena Luthor was hosting, yet another, charity gala. It’s like she wanted to pound it into the wealthy elite of National City that she is nothing like the rest of her family. With all of the galas and donations, the CEO had to have spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on the local community. Not that anyone is complaining. Many, however, are starting to question her motivations. Is it really for the good of the people or is it to win them over, gain their trust then cast them aside? The rumors were flowing. Fortunately, none had found their way to Lena’s ears. 

What had caught Lena’s attention was the bright-eyed reporter who insisted on interviewing her every other week. Lena didn’t mind, not in the slightest. She looked forward to the weekly visits from Kara Danvers, she’d even picked out all of her quirky ticks. The way she constantly adjusted her glasses, how she twirled her pens between her fingers, the hands-in-the-pocket shuffle on the balls of her feet when she was thinking too hard. All of them. And Lena found each one adorable. 

So she kept making excuses to see her. Kept planning galas so that she’d have a reason to see Kara outside of office hours. No desks to stand in their way or button-up shirts and up-dos, but elegant dresses and let-down hair, bright smiles loosened by the open bar. And it was working. 

This particular event was for a local adoption agency. It hadn’t been Lena’s intent to choose an organization that hit so close to home, both for herself and Kara. And, as it turned out, for Supergirl.

 

Kara had just returned to her Supergirl outfit, coming to a soft landing next to a group of donors. They jumped slightly at her sudden appearance but welcomed her into the conversation. The talk was light. Mostly full of praise for Supergirl’s latest heroics, something that Kara was trying to diffuse. This night wasn’t about her, after all. She was merely a guest. Thankfully, a warm hand on the back of her shoulder drew her attention away from the group. 

“Supergirl! I was just looking for you. Do you have a moment?” Lena’s hand stays firmly on Kara’s shoulder as she guides her towards a quieter corner of the rooftop venue. 

Lena appears exhausted, but looking up at Supergirl, the tiredness leaves her eyes and a smile appears, “I wanted to thank you for coming! I know you have other priorities…people to save…fires to extinguish in a single breath…” Lena gestures vaguely off into the distance. 

Kara laughs, “Of course I’d come! Superheroes enjoy a good party as much as anyone else. Besides, I was given the night off, the city is in safe hands.”

At this comment, Lena starts, slightly puzzled by its meaning. Kara gulps quickly, drawing in a large breath, preparing for some sort of rambling excuse that’ll cover for her slip. 

Fortunately Lena breaks the silence first, “I was actually hoping you could do me a favor?? My friend, you know her I believe? Kara Danvers. She…she keeps disappearing, I just want to make sure she’s ok. I heard about the time she was kidnapped and when she was thrown from the 30th floor of CatCo…” Lena fumbles with her fingers, looking down at her hands then back up to Kara, “I just want to make sure she’s ok? Could you help me find her?”

Kara is taken aback by the request. She hadn’t realized that her numerous outfit changes had been so apparent to Lena. Neither did she realize that Lena had done extensive background work on Kara’s past. What else does she know? Had she hired someone? A private investigator? Rao, if anyone observed her too closely they’d discover everything in an instant…

“Supergirl?”

Lena’s voice drags Kara away from her thoughts.  
“Yes! Yes. I can help! I’d love to help. I’ll…I’ll start looking right now!”

The worry in Lena’s face fades as she watches Kara fly off. 

Kara. Kara. Kara. I’ve got to be Kara. I’m supposed to be missing…Where did I leave my clothes? Kara flies to a service entrance and makes her way to the empty janitor’s closet that she’s been using to store her “Kara” clothes. Next thing she knows she’s briskly making her way towards Lena. 

“Lena! Hi! Supergirl told me you were looking for me!” Kara smiles widely as she makes her way through the last of the party-goers. 

Lena lights up. Of course she does. Kara is the reason why she throws these events. To be with her. Yes, to help the organizations she donates to…but…ultimately….to see that smile. The head tilt. The laughter.  
Kara reaches Lena, automatically wrapping her arm around the other’s, and turns to face the entirety of the event, the lights, the view of the city from the rooftop location. 

“I’d say it was a success, wouldn’t you?” Kara asks. 

Lena turns to Kara, surprised by the sudden amount of physical contact, “Yes. A huge success.” The words come out in nearly a whisper. Lena doesn’t take her eyes from Kara’s profile, watching her watch the city below them. 

Kara turns to Lena suddenly and catches her gaze. Lena almost ducks away, taken aback by the moment that turned intimate so quickly. But Kara smiles, all warmth and goodness. She drops her eyes before resuming her study of National City’s skyline. 

“Do you ever miss them?” 

The question is out of the blue. Lena, once again, is thrown off by Kara’s actions. 

She stumbles, “I..who?”

“Your birth parents.”

Silence settles between them. Lena lets the question consume her, her brain searching for memories of them that gave her away, that put her in the family that nearly destroyed her, that still wants to see her fail. She feels the tears coming, burning behind her eyes. They’re not there. The memories don’t come, no matter hard Lena tries. 

“I can’t remember them to miss them.”

At this Kara removes her arm from Lena’s, instead wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling her into her side. Lena lets her head rest on Kara’s shoulder, grateful for the warmth she seems to radiate.  
All too quickly the moment is ruined. Kara tenses. She’d heard a scream, the rapid patter of footsteps, an accelerated heartbeat. Lena feels the sudden change in Kara’s stance. Was it something she said? She shouldn’t have said anything at all…This was a mistake. Doing all of this for Kara. Opening up to Kara. It was too much. 

“I have to go. I’m so sorry, Lena, but I have to go,” Kara is pulling away from Lena. The warmth is gone as quickly as it came and Lena wants it back. She quickly wipes the few tears and reaches out for Kara. 

“Please, don’t leave, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have…I’m sorry,” Lena doesn’t know what to stay to make her stay. And she watches helplessly as Kara rushes off towards the exit. 

++++

The would-be mugger is completely knocked out, his head lolling to rest on his shoulder. The police are on their way to pick him up, the potential victim already home, safe and sound. Kara is flying as quickly as she can back to Lena’s gala. It’s all that she can think of: the intimate moment that had been ruined by this man’s greed. Lena. Finally opening up. Finally trusting her. Finally trusting someone. And she had fled.  
Kara crash lands into the service doors and stumbles through the dark closet for her Kara clothes, quickly placing the glasses on her face. Did she change? Yes. She’s wearing the glasses. Obviously she’d changed. She rushes back to the rooftop only to find the remaining guests gone and Lena alone, right where Kara had left her. 

She feels the weight of the cape however, and does what she’d naturally do while wearing it: she flies over to Lena and lands quickly beside her. The other woman jumps at the sudden movement and burst of wind.

“I’m sorry, Lena, there was an emergency…”

“Supergirl? I wasn’t…you weren’t…” Lena’s voice fades as she takes in the girl next to her, “Kara?”

She doesn’t see Supergirl.  
She sees Kara.  
In a billowing cape and black rimmed glasses.


	5. First Touch, First Look

The air was colder than usual for a September evening. Kara Danvers never minded cooler weather. After all, she was a walking heater. Perhaps that was why Lena Luthor was gradually moving closer and closer to Kara’s side as they made their way down the sidewalk. Every now and then a brush of fingertips felt their way across the back of Kara’s hand. Each time it was an electric pulse, a sensation she craved with each accidental touch. 

Kara stole quick glances at the CEO. Lena was tight-lipped and quiet. She had been ever since they had left the office building. L-Corp had experienced another attack, and though minor in comparison to the other attempts, it had still shaken Lena considerably. Kara had been with Lena at the time, a stroke of luck really, interviewing her about the post-Medusa outcome and her mother’s potential fate. 

It had been a few weeks since the night Lillian Luthor had tried to eradicate aliens from National City. Unfortunately, it had also been a few weeks since Kara had seen Lena, either as a reporter or her alter-ego.   
The reunion had not gone smoothly. Kara was barely able to make it past security on the first floor and even when she did, Jess refused to let her in to see her boss. 

++++

“Miss Luthor has a full schedule today, Miss Danvers.”

The sentence was short and obviously a dismissal. 

“Jess, please, it will only be a second…”

“Miss Luthor is not available, Miss Danvers. A future appointment won’t be necessary…”

Lena’s voice suddenly cuts through over the intercom, “Let her in, Jess. Miss Danvers is always to be shown in.”

Kara enters the office, initially finding it empty. Sweeping her gaze across the room she finds Lena outside on the balcony, leaning against the railing. Kara joins her in looking out at the city below them. The   
silence is tense and uncomfortable. Kara moves to speak when Lena beats her to it. 

“I’m not giving you an interview, Kara,” Lena turns to face her. The expression she gives the reporter is not what Kara was expecting. It’s full of sadness. Like too many nights crying yourself to sleep. Too many days merely going through the motions. 

Kara looks down at her hands and quickly adjusts her glasses, “I know.” She looks back up to see Lena still staring at her. “I came to apologize… I was out of town…there was an emergency…”

Kara is interrupted by her phone vibrating loudly in her pocket. She attempts to ignore it, carrying on with her explanation, “I had to leave, I wanted to come see you…”

Again her phone buzzes. Lena raises an eyebrow as once again Kara silences the device and resumes her ramblings, “I had to see you because of what happened, not because of this article…I know what it’s like to be disappointed by your parents, I know….”

The cell phone comes to life once again in Kara’s hand and she’s tempted to throw it over the balcony, instead settling for a small crunch as the metal warps in her tightened grip. 

Lena leans forward and quietly says, “Maybe you should answer it.”

“No! No, I don’t…I’m here now…” Kara stutters, turning the phone off all together.

Lena breathes in deeply, “Kara. I don’t want to talk about it. I know you mean well. But I don’t want to talk about it.” The words come out slowly. As though Lena is placing each syllable very carefully.  
Kara’s eyes flitter back and forth between Lena’s own. The sadness is still there, she can see it. And it’s all Kara can do to hold herself back, to not take her hand or pull her into a hug. She bites her lip nervously and nods in understanding. 

“Yeah. Yes. I. I get it. No talking. None at all. Just…”

“Kara.”

Kara blushes as she realizes her mistake and simply returns to looking out over the balcony. Lena smiles softly and shifts ever more closely to the girl next to her. The silence is no longer an uncomfortable one. It’s heavy, yes. There are words unspoken that need to be said and feelings that need to be addressed. But for now, the two stand in the fading light, comfortable in simply the presence of one another. 

Kara hears the click of the safety before the assassin even strikes. In an instant, she is on top of Lena on the floor of the balcony, the glass windows shattering next to them. Lena’s eyes are wide as she looks from the damaged office to Kara, just inches from Lena’s face.

They’re green, she realizes. Lena’s eyes. Kara is suddenly overtaken by a strong desire to close the distance between them. To see the greenness up close. Closer than they currently are. Lena’s mouth opens slightly. She slowly blinks, “Kara…”

Jess suddenly enters the scene, followed by a group of heavily armed security guard and Kara quickly scrambles off of Lena, who sits up against the wall of the balcony. The guards start calling in reinforcements and before they know it DEO agents are swarming L-Corp. Lena still hasn’t moved. People are surrounding her, checking her for any sign of damage and removing stray pieces of glass from her clothes and hair, while Kara watches in a daze. How did this happen? Who could have done this? Lillian was gone. Lex. Gone. Alex appears by Kara’s side, leading her away, but not before she steals one last glance at Lena, a tear finding its way down the CEO’s cheek. 

++++

“I’m sure, Alex. We’ll be fine. A car can’t get within a mile of L-Corp anyway to pick her up.” 

Kara and Alex stand in the ruined mess of Lena’s office. The rest of the agents have left, the remaining crew picking up the last of the shards of glass. DEO vehicles and police cars had completely barricaded the city center, making it impossible to get a car in to take Lena home. Fortunately, the threat had been taken out. The would-be assassin currently found themselves in police custody, their attempt at taking the   
Luthor’s life thwarted. 

Lena sits out in the lobby. She’s clutching her things, silently waiting to leave. She had refused to speak to anyone following the attack. The only person who could get any response out of her was Kara, who even then, had had to wait a full hour before Lena would even acknowledge her presence.

Alex grudgingly gives in, “Fine. And answer your phone next time, will you? This could have been avoided if…”

“I know, Alex. I know. “   
Kara’s guilt is evident on her face and Alex decides its best not to rub it in. 

“Check in when you get there. I’ve got agents surrounding her apartment, plus her own security team.”

Kara nods, hugging her sister tightly before going to retrieve the waiting Lena, who silently follows Kara into the elevator.

++++ 

The pass at Kara’s fingers comes again as they round the corner away from L-Corp. Kara can’t stand it any longer and the next time it happens, she firmly grabs Lena’s hand, fully expecting her to pull away. Surprisingly, it never comes. The pair walks, hand in hand, for a few more blocks as a gentle rain starts to come down. 

Kara has no idea how to get to Lena’s apartment and allows her to guide them through the darkened streets. It’s a side to National City Kara never gets to see. She’s always seen it from above, a big picture view of the place she loves. Now, from below, she sees it as everyone else does. And she loves it. Walking the streets, she finally has the time to take in her surroundings. Unfortunately, she finds herself distracted by the girl next to her. No architectural wonder or carefully crafted graffiti can draw Kara’s attention away long enough, as she keeps turning her eyes back to Lena. 

Lena notices.   
She sees how Kara is enraptured by the walk through downtown. How she fights the desire to stare at Lena yet yearns to observe the night life around them.   
The rain comes quicker then. The drops getting larger, soaking into their clothes. Kara’s pace picks up and Lena matches the stride. It finally turns into a downpour and Lena shrieks at the sudden deluge of water. She pulls Kara into the doorway of a nearby building, laughing as she does so. 

Kara is taken aback by the sudden change in Lena’s demeanor. Her lips are no longer tight and her posture is more relaxed. Her wet hair clings to the side of her face, the image of her blurred by the rain drops covering Kara’s lenses. 

She reaches up and pulls the glasses off; going to wipe them on her shirt before realizing the material is just as soaked as the glasses, offering no relief. Kara looks to Lena, about to ask for any piece of dry material before she stops. 

Lena’s face is one of surprise. She reaches out to move a strand of wet hair from Kara’s cheek. 

Except she doesn’t see Kara.   
She sees Supergirl.   
Soaking wet in the doorway of 105 Hamilton Ave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of schoolio.  
> But a day off with a cold is the perfect excuse to write.  
> Thanks for reading, pals


	6. First Game, First Look

Lena has her secrets, like most people. 

Almost all of hers happen to revolve around her alien-hunting family members, but there are a few more personal ones that she holds close to her heart. Like the one currently residing in the gym bag she’s clutching to her person as she runs up the steps towards L-Corp’s lobby. 

Damn the rec center for renovating their locker room. 

It had been a safe haven, the locker room. It was where, on aisle 3 locker number 24, that Lena carefully stowed her cleats, shin guards, and socks. Her team jersey and her hair ties. Thanks to the washer and dryer located on the facility, Lena’s bi-weekly games and practice sessions were a world all of their own, completely separate from every other aspect of her life. They never mingled with work. They never even left the rec center building. 

Until last night, when Paul from maintenance pulled out the caution tape and began closing off aisle 3. 

“These puppies are nearing 30 years old, ladies. Big guy up top gave us a good sum o bills to fix ‘em up and that’s exactly what I plan on doin’. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Lena had stormed off quickly, too upset to be angry, not bothering to say goodnight to her teammates. Besides, the other girls hadn’t minded at all. Shrugged shoulders and calls of “Thanks Paul!” followed the group out to the parking lot. For most of them, all of them really, the indoor soccer team was just that: an indoor soccer team. A facet of their lives that was just…there. For Lena, this team was an escape. It was more than just a game every Tuesday and Friday, it was a world within her world that no one could touch or tarnish. Especially not her family. Especially not Lillian. 

Now here she was, arriving at work nearly two hours early in order to maintain the isolation of this part of her life, the gym bag hanging from her shoulder as she tries to sneak past security. In a building she owns. 

“Morning Miss Luthor! You’re mighty early this morning!” the security guard smiles and waves as Lena nods quickly, shoving the gym bag behind her as much as possible, as she shuffles past him. “Good thing too, there’s a young miss…” but his words never reaches the CEO’s ears, she’s already throwing herself in the nearest elevator, too embarrassed to make casual conversation, her fingers jamming the button to close the door. 

“…a young miss here to see you,” he shakes his head, eyebrows raised, then resumes his watch of the security monitors. 

The elevator doors open and Lena breathes a sigh of relief that she’s beaten Jess to work. Of course she has, Lena reminds herself. It’s barely 6 am. The ease is short-lived, however, when Kara Danvers rises from one of the chairs in the waiting room. 

Lena’s hand goes to her chest, the visitor completely unexpected, “Kara! Hi…Hello…what are you doing here?” she fidgets with the strap of the gym bag. Maybe if she rests her briefcase in front of it, Kara won’t notice. Invisible. She’ll never know. The briefcase moves in front of the bag, slowly obscuring the secret behind it.

It seems as though the plan is working because Kara doesn’t look towards the bag at all, opting instead for Lena’s eyes. Plus the usual quick flicker to her lips. Lena pretends not to notice this habit of Kara’s, but she does. Every time. It’s almost enough to make her forget the cleats and jersey stuffed inside the bag she’s trying to hide. Almost. 

“Hi, I…I um…I came by to talk to you…I couldn’t sleep last night, I had to see you,” the reporter gestures her words in her nervousness. “I’ve been thinking a lot…and…and the flowers, and something Alex told me, it’s all kind of…kind of fallen into place in my mind…”

Lena is just now realizing where Kara is going with this. Her thoughts turn from the secret beside her to the woman standing before her. Lena finally notices Kara isn’t in her usual button-up and cardigan, but old jeans and an over-sized t-shirt. She looks tired. Like she’s been up all night. Right. Right. She just said that. Lena squeezes her eyes shut to force herself to pay attention to what’s going on. This is more important. Kara is more important. 

She opens them to find that Kara has moved closer. She’s wringing her fingers together, the tips going white with the pressure. 

“I…I think. I can’t stop thinking…what it would be like….” Kara takes another step closer and Lena’s hold on the briefcase loosens, her breathing quickens. Kara’s fingers untangle themselves from each other and move towards Lena’s hair, her cheek, pulling her closer. 

It’s nothing like Lena had imagined, it’s better. All of those moments they’d shared in her office, the desire she’d felt for the young reporter sitting across from her. The brilliant smile playing across her face and the bright blue eyes behind black frames. Long conversations on her couch and the secrets shared. Except the one resting on Lena’s shoulder. But here they are, the secret forgotten and the kiss overpowering her. Lena finds her own hands slipping beneath the hem of Kara’s t-shirt, her cool fingers causing Kara to jump slightly at the touch. 

The briefcase falls, the gym bag falls from Lena’s shoulder. She leaps back as her foot is hit hard by the briefcase, which springs open, papers everywhere, and the gym bag swings from her arm, hitting Kara neatly in the shins. 

“Shit…Oh my God…Kara, are you alright?” Lena crouches down in pain, but manages to look up to check on Kara. Her foot throbs and all she can think of is if she’ll be able to play in tonight’s game. Those thoughts are dashed, however, as Kara joins her on the floor, her face mere inches from her own. The secret leaves her mind and Kara’s lips take their place. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. How’s your foot? I’m sorry about…this…” Lena can see the concern in her eyes.

“I’ll be ok, nothing I can’t handle,” Lena lingers on Kara’s gaze before beginning to gather the fallen papers. “We should…pick these up…”

“Right. Yes.”

Kara begins helping in the cleanup efforts. She reaches for one at the same moment Lena does, their fingers brushing, shoulders bumping. 

Kara turns, “Oops, just…” her eyes make their way down, as they usually do. This time Lena doesn’t pretend not to notice and closes the distance between them. The second kiss is more hurried than the first. It’s full of wanting and desire, as though Lena can’t get enough of Kara Danvers, that the thirst will never be filled. It’s been building up this whole time and there’s nothing left to stop it. The throbbing in her foot is no longer there, all but forgotten. It’s been replaced by the need to get Kara on the floor, out of that t-shirt, out of those jeans. 

And Kara let’s her.

It only stops when the elevator dings open followed by a sharp intake of air. 

Kara, her breathing heavy, runs her fingers through her hair as Lena closes her eyes and bites her lip, the pair separating themselves from each other on the paper-covered floor. 

“Miss Luthor…Miss Danvers….I’ll be in the restroom,” Jess stutters out before exiting as quickly as she entered, making her way down the hallway.

Lena begins re-buttoning her blouse as Kara pulls her t-shirt back on. 

“Well, shall we resume in my office then?”

Kara pauses in her movements to adjust the remaining stray hairs of her ponytail, a cough overtaking her lungs, eyes wide and cheeks turning pink. Lena laughs and begins piling the stray papers into the  
briefcase. 

“Kara, I’m kidding,” she latches the briefcase shut, her eyes anything but joking as she stands and moves towards the office.

Kara catches her breath and grabs the gym bag, following Lena. 

“But if I weren’t…”Lena turns to face Kara, both now safely within the privacy of Lena’s office, ready to flirt her way back into Kara’s arms, when her eyes rest upon the gym bag in Kara’s hands. 

She stumbles across her words as the threat of the secret being released grows. But it’s just Kara. Only Kara. Maybe she won’t say anything. So I won’t say anything. 

“…I’ll just take that. Thank you,” Lena reaches for the bag, ready to hide it away underneath her desk until the 6 pm start of the match.

“Do you go to a gym?” 

The question is innocent enough. Still, Lena feels her face get hot, her hands get slicker. 

“Umm…well…”

Kara waits, her eyebrows nearing the concerned crease they get when she’s full-blown worried. “I’ve always wanted to go to a gym! I don’t really work out, but…”

Lena listens as Kara rambles on about gyms and barbells, excuses for not running, and how many sit-ups Alex can do. One rake of her eyes over Kara’s figure debunks the statement. Clearly Kara is in the best shape of her life. Lena had just nearly seen for herself…

“…And so that’s why I’ve never been! Could I go with you sometime?” 

She can’t lie. It wouldn’t hold. Of course she doesn’t go to a gym, L-Corp has one for all employees on the sixth floor. Even then, it’d be risky. The bag doesn’t have anything needed for lifting weights or jogs around a track. It has cleats and tube socks for crying out loud. Why couldn’t they resume what they’d been doing before Jess had interrupted? Why couldn’t Kara forget about working out and take her place on  
Lena’s desk?

Lena sighs. There’s no fighting it. Kara is inching closer to Lena, an almost mischievous look in her eyes. If Lena didn’t know that the look was because of the prospect of throwing around medicine balls and not something else, she’d take her right then and there. Deep breath. Here it goes. 

++++

“Ok, Ok. No. There’s only five on each side…Kara. Hey. Listen. The purpose is to get the ball…KARA!”

Lena rests her hands on her hips and looks down at the ground. She counts to ten, a calming mechanism she’d had to use when she’d get frustrated with Lillian or Lex. She never in her wildest dreams thought she’d be using it on Kara, a girl she…a girl she…Lena can’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

When she looks up she finds Kara laying spread eagle in the middle of the field. Lena pinches her nose. Dear God. Help me. 

“I can’t believe you play indoor soccer. Lena! That is so cool!” Kara shouts from where she’s lying down, her arms and legs moving as though making a snow angel. With no snow. “Like. Every week! You’re here! I had no idea!” Kara sits up, a wide grin on her face. 

That’s the idea, Lena thinks, but she can’t help but cave a little at Kara’s enthusiasm. Maybe introducing her to this world won’t be so bad. 

“Lena! Lena! Hey!” one of Lena’s teammates, Hannah, comes running up towards her, drawing her attention from Kara and the snow angels, “So. We have a bit of an issue. Michelle sprained an ankle last night and can’t make it. So we’re down a person and we’ll have to forfeit the game unless we get a replacement.”

Lena’s eyes flicker over to where Kara is now attempting to juggle a few of the soccer balls, which goes decently well. She reverts her attention back to Hannah, already dreading what she’s about to ask. 

“We noticed…you brought your friend? Do you think she could, you know, suit up?” Hannah pleads. 

Lena grimaces as Kara’s juggling attempts go poorly, one catching her on the head, “I don’t know, Hannah. She’s never played before…”

“It doesn’t matter!! We just need a body on the field. I mean, we’re good enough we don’t even need to use her.”

Kara kicks one of the balls, which launches with surprising speed towards one of the nets. 

“Or maybe we could,” Hannah acknowledges, impressed. 

++++

“Ok, so you’re going to just be on the field. That’s all we need, is an extra player. DO NOT pass the center line. Please, for the love of God, just stay by the goal,” Lena tugs the jersey over Kara’s head, who can barely contain her excitement. 

“Lena, oh my gosh. I’ve never played a team sport before! Alex and Eliza never let me! They said…well, they said it wasn’t my thing but this!” Kara looks down at the jersey, pulling it tight to make out the number in her chest, “This is too good to be true!”

Lena laughs. How easily pleased Kara is. It’s endearing. And a shame that she’s helping Kara put the jersey on when she’d most definitely rather be helping her take it off….

The prospect of participating in the match, however, has taken over Kara’s world. It’s as though the events of that morning never happened. She’s practically bouncing off the walls, testing out the cleats, tightening her ponytail, adjusting the pair of extra socks she’s borrowing from Lena, pushing her glasses further up her nose…  
The glasses. 

“Kara, how’s your vision?”

The excitement immediately dissipates and Lena can almost feel the energy being sucked from the room. Kara stops her erratic movements and her hands go unconsciously to the black frames.

“My vision? It’s fine. Well, not fine. It’s bad. Really bad. I can’t see without them, so…”

“Kara, I guarantee you will get hit in the face, and I don’t want you to break them! It’s a really physical sport.”

“But you said you just need a body, so I’ll, I’ll just stand in the corner, no one will even come near me.”

“The odds of that happening are pretty low, if we’re going to be honest, Kara. I’d feel better if you weren’t wearing them.”

“It’ll be more dangerous if I take them off! I won’t be able to see anyone coming! Or the ball!”

“The ball is bright orange.”

“Oh.”

“Just take them off.”

“No.”

“Kara, please.”

“Lena, no.”

Lena throws her hands up in resignation, “Fine. You’re not playing. I won't see you get hurt. I’m telling Hannah we forfeit.” She walks towards the bench where the rest of the team is stretching in preparation. 

Kara struggles for a split second, then lunges forward, “No! Lena! Wait…” she takes Lena by the arm, turning her around to face her. “It’s not, it’s not because I can’t see.”

Lena says nothing, her arms crossed in front of her. Kara’s excuse better be good, after the fit she’s just thrown. 

Kara reaches up, her hands shaking, the crease in her forehead coming back for the second time that day. Lena almost regrets forcing her take them off, she's making such a deal about it, but she still says nothing to stop her. Kara takes the glasses by the arms and pulls them off slowly, looking down as she does so. When she lifts her head to face Lena, she gives her a tentative smile. 

“It’s just, I can see perfectly fine.”

And it's not Kara that Lena sees  
But Supergirl  
Clad in a soccer jersey and over-sized cleats


	7. First Pat-Down, First Look

Beeeeeep. Beeeep. Beeep. Beeeeep. 

Kara sighs. It’s the third time the metal detector has gone off as she’s attempted to walk through security in L-Corp’s lobby. She backtracks, hands on her hips in defiance, as one of the guards comes over to her with a wand, ready to check for any metal on Kara’s body. Her belt, wallet, phone, stray Bobbi pins, watch, even her shoes, are in a small bin on the other side of the security check point. What could possibly be wrong now?

He begins with the procedure; the wand going quickly over Kara’s outstretched arms and legs, followed by her torso, until it begins its panic attack near her face. 

The glasses. 

“Miss, I’m going to need you to take off the glasses. I believe that’s what’s holding you up.”

Kara starts, taken aback by the request. She can’t take off the glasses. She can’t. Kara fidgets with the buttons of her cardigan, unsure of what to do. 

“I..I don’t think so….I’m sure it’s nothing, if you’ll just let me through, I’m here to see Lena Luthor? The CEO?”

“Ma’am, I don’t care who you’re here to see, every visitor to L-Corp is to be screened and processed and right now you’re not passing the security check. We can’t let you through.” 

Kara pulls her lips in in frustration, blowing her breath out quickly through her nose. This isn’t going to work. She can’t just fly up to Lena’s balcony, they’ve only been dating for a few months and Kara’s secret identity is still just that, a secret identity. Their relationship is already beginning to strain, what with Kara’s many disappearances and paper-thin excuses. She doesn’t think that it’ll hold much longer, but today, a Tuesday afternoon squabble with the lobby security, isn’t the time or place to let Lena Luthor know her girlfriend is Supergirl. 

“Can’t I just? You know…?” Kara begins to ask, but she’s cut off once again by a shake of the guard’s head. 

“Just the glasses, Miss. That’s all it is. If you keep making a fuss, we’re going to have to ask you to leave the premises.”

Kara shifts back and forth, angrily watching as other visitors walk through easily, the metal detector silent and welcoming. On a whim, she lunges forward through the gate towards the bin with her belongings. She just needs her phone. That’s all. 

The guards milling around the checkpoint where Kara is being detained all react at once. Shouts ring throughout the marble hall with calls of “GET HER!”, “OY WHAT ARE YOU DOING”, and “WATCH IT WATCH IT.”  
Kara feels a few rough hands on her arms as she snatches the phone from the bin before stepping back on the right side of the checkpoint. She holds her hands up in defense, a sign of innocence she’s seen one too many times in many of the aliens she’s encountered, as she backs quickly away. 

The guard closest to her, still holding the wand, is breathing heavy, one hand on his hip, the other wagging his finger in rebuke of her defiant actions, “Try that again…” he huffs out, “Try that again and you’re out of here.”

Kara ignores him and dials Lena’s number, impatiently waiting as it rings. 

“Hey darling, I’m finishing up some paperwork, can I call you back?”

“They won’t let me through,” Kara fires through gritted teeth. 

“What?”

“Security. They won’t let me through.”

“Why not?”

Instead of answering the question, Kara proceeds into a rant, “I don’t even understand why you need it, Lena. You’re perfectly safe! You didn’t even tell me you were putting in the metal detectors! I mean, if you needed more protection, you should have just asked, I can keep an eye on the building when I’m making my rounds.”

“Excuse me? Your what?”

Kara quickly talks over her mistake, “I just…can’t you just…just tell them to let me through? You’re the CEO.”

“Kara, it’s just a metal detector. It’s not that big of a deal…”

But before Lena can finish her sentence, Kara hangs up. Her rage is amplified and her determination is growing. She walks back to the metal detector and attempts to walk through. The guards are clearly onto her now, and stop her the moment she gets past the gate, which is beeping wildly. 

“Miss, once again, we ask that you step back, remove the glasses, and then come back through the checkpoint.” 

“It’s not the glasses! I’m here to see Lena Luthor! Call her!” Kara insists, but a few of the guards are already approaching her, ready to force her back to the other side. 

One of them signals over to a fellow at the desk, “Give Miss Luthor a call, please? We have an uncontrolled threat in the lobby she needs to be aware of.”

This causes Kara to boil, “An uncontrolled threat? Really? I’m harmless, I’m here to see Lena, she’ll explain!” Kara walks forward, the machines go off again and the security guards try pushing her back. One takes a hold of her arm and Kara shoves him off. Unfortunately, the ‘gentle’ shove catapults the guard across the lobby and he skids towards the revolving doors. The other guards see this and immediately grab hold of Kara, restraining her. One of them talks into the walkie-talkie at his shoulder while another rushes over to assist the guard who has fallen. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that...” Kara stutters out, letting herself be held down by the security guards, her fire to get through no longer there as she sees the consequences of her actions. 

“Sorry, hah, just wait until the police report comes out, Miss. Then we’ll see who’s sorry.” 

Kara tries to hide her face from the small crowd gathering in the lobby, completely embarrassed by the turn of events. It proves hard to do, however, as the guards keep her facing the front entrance, allowing incoming visitors a clear view of her imprisoned fate. 

A few minutes later there is the sharp sound of clacking heels, growing louder and closer from the elevators until Kara feels a small hand grip her just above the elbow and pull her forcefully off to the side. The guards, surprised by the presence of the CEO herself, let Kara go without a fuss. 

“What. Do you think. You are doing??” Lena hisses as she deposits Kara in a corner. Kara is sure that Lena’s grip would have left marks were it possible to do so on her steel skin. She can still feel the slight pressure where Lena’s fingers had just previously been. 

“I get a call, first from you, complaining about getting through a metal detector. A metal detector Kara! And then I get not one, not two, but THREE more calls from the head of security detailing your insubordination, manhandling of an officer, and then come down here to find you restrained by three grown men, the other halfway across the lobby?! Kara, it’s like I’m dating a twelve year-old!” Lena is furious, the vein on her forehead standing out prominently. 

Kara doesn’t have the bravery to look her in the eyes. Of course, hearing it out loud makes her sound like a crazy person. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, they wanted me…to um…”

“To what? Do you have some sort of medical condition that makes you unable to go through a metal detector?”

“No…”

“Metal implants somewhere I don’t know about?”

“…no.”

“Then what is it, Kara? Why the big fuss?” Lena’s harsh whispers have risen steadily throughout the conversation. It draws attention from the security guards, a few of which keep glancing over at them, one of them shaking his head. 

“They told me I had to take off my glasses?”

At the confession, Lena’s shoulders sag and her head falls back as she looks up towards the ceiling. 

“Your glasses,” It’s a statement. 

“Lena, I know it seems crazy, but I really, I really don’t want to take them off,” Kara is practically begging. “Can you just…like…waive me through? Please?” she’s twiddling her fingers together, bouncing slightly in her stocking feet. 

Lena looks back at Kara, and seeing the bright blue eyes pleading for lenience softens her. She has to remember not to take out her work frustrations on Kara. It’s just a metal detector, a simple security clearance. Meant to catch insane assassins and killers, not innocent reporters. Obviously, Kara is no harm whatsoever. She sighs, pulling Kara ever closer by the hips. One hand reaches up, gently fixing the collar of Kara’s shirt. 

“If you just take them off,” she whispers, her fingers move to Kara’s neck, “walk through the metal detectors,” her jaw, “come up to my office…” Lena is kissing her and for a moment Kara completely forgets about the dilemma with the security guards and focuses only on Lena’s tongue grazing her bottom lip. 

The next thing she knows, Lena has pulled back quickly, taking Kara’s glasses with her. 

“Alright! Step one!” Lena weighs the frames in her hand. A closer look shows numerous scratches on the lenses and a tortoise shell design she hadn’t noticed before, “Ok, wow. Kara, these are really heavy. Is that normal?” she looks up to see that Kara has turned to face the wall, her head bowed. Lena instantly regrets her decision. She’d pushed too hard. 

“Kara, I’m sorry. Here, you can wear them through security. I’ll get you a pass…hey. Kara?” Lena gently places a hand on Kara’s shoulder, “Kara, I’m sorry, I really am. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Or taken this so lightly when it’s obviously very important. Kara. Come on. Will you turn around for me? Please?”

Kara stays silent for a moment before uttering quietly, “Is anyone looking?”

Lena scrunches her face in confusion, but looks around anyway to fulfill the odd request. The guards are busy with incoming visitors and seem to have forgotten about Kara’s assault. No one is paying them any mind.

“There’s no one looking.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, Kara. It’s just you and me.”

Slowly, Kara turns around to face Lena, and when she does, it elicits a small gasp. 

“Oh my God,” Lena whispers, one hand coming up to cover her mouth. 

It’s not Kara.   
It’s Supergirl.  
Standing in the corner of the L-Corp lobby  
Completely metal-free


	8. First Ride, First Look

“It’s like you’re flying! Or as close to flying as you can get without, you know, actually flying.”

Lena is beaming. Utterly beaming. The broccoli on the end of her fork waves chaotically through the air, threatening to make a flight of its own. 

“Kara, I’m serious here. This thing is HUGE, probably the tallest roller coaster in the country!” 

The broccoli finds its way into her mouth and Lena nods for emphasis, chewing quickly, eager to swallow and go on.   
Kara picks at her own food, laughing at Lena’s enthusiasm. It’s hard to not be drawn in by the wide smile and flashing eyes. 

“I believe you! I do!” Kara laughs as Lena approves with a mouthful of vegetables. 

Kara had always loved theme parks and had insisted that the Danvers take her multiple times a year. Krypton had not had such things: massive devices meant to thrill for pure pleasure. But she found herself on an alien planet with incredible powers that she was encouraged to suppress. Roller coasters were a way to recapture the feeling of flying without exposing herself. And it was very nearly close to the real thing. The wind in her hair. The speed. The rush in her stomach with every sudden drop. She lived for those moments, that is, until she came out as Supergirl. Roller coasters had nothing on real, uninhibited flight. 

But Lena, Lena doesn’t know that feeling. And what a feeling it is! This roller coaster is probably the closest she’d ever get. And why deny someone that opportunity? Kara makes up her mind, setting down her fork and pushing aside her container of chow mein. 

“We should go. To this…theme park. We should go!” Kara’s eyes dance with the prospect, but she’s surprised that Lena’s reaction is far from excited. The fire that had been there previously is extinguished and she looks down as she swallows her food. 

“Oh, Kara. We can’t. I mean, I can’t.” She looks up, lips pulled together in resignation. “I don’t have the time. L-Corp is barely holding itself together, I don’t think it can take any more attacks…”

“Lena, that’s the exact reason we need to go! You need a vacation. And besides, it’s just outside of Midvale, we can stay with Eliza.” Kara takes Lena’s hand from across the table. 

Lena hesitates, still unsure as to whether or not it’s a good idea, “I know…It’s just…”

“No excuses! Lena, you just spent the past hour telling me the physics behind this ride, do you really think I’m going to deprive you of actually going on it?” Kara raises her eyebrows, her smile slowly growing into a full-blown grin. 

Lena ducks her head, laughter escaping her lips as she nods, “Yes, yes. Fine. Let’s do it.”

++++

“Holy. Shit.” Kara gazes up at the roller coaster, adequately named Colossus. It’s huge. And incredibly threatening, even for her. 

Lena is a little shocked at the choice of words, “Danvers, wow. I didn’t take you for a swearer.”

“I-I’m not. Not usually.”

Lena smiles and takes Kara around the shoulders, “Buck up, buttercup. You’re going to love it.”

Kara laughs, returning the embrace, yet still taking in the size and scale of the coaster, “I hope so.”

They’re standing in line, along with hundreds of other visitors, a hot afternoon sun shining down on them. They’d already spent the majority of the day on the countless other rides and attractions. It had been full of screaming and laughter, the pair giggling their way through the theme park. Despite the near-sweltering heat, Lena doesn’t remember ever having been so happy. So content. She sneaks glances at Kara every now and then when she thinks she's not looking. She’s beautiful despite the sweaty conditions and lack of a cool breeze. Lena can hardly believe how lucky she is. Not to be here. It's not really about the ride. To be here with Kara. With someone as kind and loving as Kara Danvers.

Kara catches one of Lena’s stares as they’re waiting in line for Colossus, not looking away but maintaining the eye contact and moving closer. Sheis radiating heat, but still Lena allows herself to be pulled into her side, strong arms wrapping around her torso. 

She plants a soft kiss on Lena’s temple, “I’m glad we came.”

“Me too,” Lena looks up at Kara, who is smiling down at her.

“Ok, so-“ Kara shifts her gaze to observe their surroundings, still holding Lena “- I spy, with my little eye, something…green.”

About an hour and about 20 rounds of eye-spy later, Kara and Lena finally make their way into one of the cars. Kara pumps the air in anticipation after pulling the shoulder restraints down over herself. Leaning forward, she sneaks a peek over to Lena, who is gripping the handles so hard, her knuckles are turning white. The train lurches forward, beginning its ascent up the first and most formidable hill. 

“Are you ready?!” Lena yells.

“Oh Rao, I hope so!” Kara returns.

“What?!”

“I hope so!”

The wind picks up when they near the top, carrying their words from their mouths. Kara feels Lena’s hand on her thigh as the car slowly rolls over the crest of the hill and she squeezes as it drops, her screams mixing with Kara’s laughter. 

One minute and 45 seconds later, the train pulls back into the station. Lena’s hand is still gripping Kara’s leg, who is laughing uncontrollably. 

“LENA! What?! I can’t believe…Holy crap…WE HAVE TO GO AGAIN!” Kara pushes the restraint up, “I don’t know why I was ever scared, that was WAY better than flying-“

Kara looks over at Lena, her windswept hair a mess, framing a face full of shock. 

“Lena, are you ok?”

“Your…Your glasses…You’re…”

Kara’s hands instantly go up to her eyes, only to find them bare of anything resembling the usual black frames. She hadn’t even noticed them coming off. The wind. The speed of the coaster. The loops…

“You’re her,” Lena stammers out.

Not a windblown and giddy Kara,   
but a surprised and breathless Supergirl.


	9. First Swim, First Look

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to exprsslyfrbidden03 for the suggestion!  
> I'm glad you're enjoying these as much as I enjoy writing them!

The sun glistens on the ocean waves, blinding Lena temporarily as the reflection catches her in the eyes. She pulls down the sunshade and glances over to the passenger seat where Kara sits. She’s got her knees pulled to her chest, sunglasses replacing her usual lenses, and a bag of salt and vinegar chips in one hand. 

“THERE THERE THERE!”

Chips go flying as Kara lunges forward against the seatbelt and points frantically to an empty parking spot vacated just seconds earlier by another car. 

“I see it, I see it!” Lena responds, pulling in quickly to the parking space. “Do you have any quarters?”

Kara mutters a few words that sound vaguely like ‘maybe’ and ‘I’ll see’ and begins digging into her purse and pulling out everything but the needed coins. Lena watches as rogue sticks of gum, headphones, post its, and crumpled receipts pile up on the middle console. 

“God, Kara, what happened in there?” 

Kara ignores the question, her tongue sticking out in concentration when the sound of jingling coins becomes audible. 

“Almost….got it!” Kara pulls out three quarters, a triumphant smile on her face. 

Lena stares, clearly unimpressed, “Three? That’s it? All this-“ she gestures to the mess between them “-and you only have three quarters? Kara, that’ll get us, what, 45 minutes? At the most?”

Kara’s smile remains as she unbuckles the seatbelt and opens the door to get out of the car, “Lena, Lena, Lena, no one checks the meters. Everyone knows that. We’ll be fine. At least that’s what Alex always says.”

Lena raises her eyebrows, not yet ready to believe the justification, but willing to play along, “Alright. It’s your call, Danvers.”

The beach trip had been an accident. Why it was even brought up is still unclear, only that Kara had mentioned at dinner one night how she’d gone all the time with Alex but never gone in the water past her ankles. It’s just not right, she said. A mysterious and vast area mostly unknown and undiscovered. No thanks. Lena was appalled. Growing up in Metropolis, she had lived for summer outings to the Cape and afternoons spent surfing and boogie boarding. Though, she had admitted, it had been years since she’d seen the sun for more than just walking to and from her car. Kara, upon hearing this, had insisted that they go. A call interrupted Lena’s excuses as to why that wouldn’t work, but it was only to say that the next day’s meetings were cancelled due to severe weather in Central City and the investors weren’t able to make it. The couple had left the restaurant, excitedly anticipating their weekend adventure, yet slightly confused as to how it had come about so suddenly. 

So here they were, fighting for parking spots and lathered in sunscreen, swim suits on and towels packed, ready for their impromptu day-at-the-beach. 

Once they find a suitable spot on the sand, Lena sets down her bag and begins spreading out her towel. Beside her, Kara has already done the same and stands, her arms spread wide, basking in the glow of the mid-morning sun. 

“I never get used to this sun,” she says, more to herself than to anyone else. 

Lena comes over, pulling down one of Kara’s arms and gliding her hands down until their fingers intertwine. Kara looks over and smiles wide as she squeezes Lena’s hand. 

“I need your help. I can’t reach my back,” Lena holds up the bottle of sunscreen. She turns around, removing the dress she’s wearing to reveal a dark purple bikini. Kara’s breath catches at the sight. It’s not like this is the first time she’s seen Lena Luthor in minimal clothing. It’s just…she’s just…so beautiful. 

“You still there?” Lena calls over her shoulder. Her hands pull her hair away from her back to make it easier. 

Kara nods, though she’s fully aware Lena can’t see her, “Oh! Yes! Sorry…sorry…” 

A few minutes later, when Kara has finished, Lena turns around, “Shall I do you?” She takes the bottle from Kara, her eyes hooded and suggesting. 

Kara’s eyes go slightly wider as she stutters, “H-here?? At the beach?”

Lena maintains her expression as long as she can, but it proves difficult. A smile slowly forms on her lips, and she closes her eyes in exasperation. With a quick kiss on Kara’s still slightly stunned cheek, Lena turns Kara around and helps to remove her t-shirt. 

“Kara, darling, sunscreen. I mean sunscreen.”

“Right…right. Of course,” Kara turns around, her shirt in one hand. “I actually don’t need any, it’s fine.”

“Kara, you’ll burn. You’re almost as white as me.”

Kara waves this off and shifts her sunglasses, “Nah, I’ll be ok. More for you.”

Lena shrugs, tossing the bottle into her bag and settling herself on her towel. She pulls out a file of financial reports and begins shuffling through the papers, a pen caught between her teeth. Kara is still standing next to her, basking in the sunlight, like an overgrown puppy. Her hands rest on her hips and Lena can make out her toned shoulders and back. One of the mysteries of life, Lena sighs. Kara’s body. She eats terribly, never exercises, and still looks like the female equivalent of Tarzan. It’s disgusting. 

Kara looks down on Lena and smiles. But at least she’s mine, Lena thinks, returning the smile. It doesn’t last, however, as Kara realizes what Lena is doing. 

“WORK?!” she snatches the papers and shoves them back into the file folder. “Not acceptable, Miss Luthor. This is a VACATION.” 

Lena doesn’t even try to stop her, instead pulling a giggling Kara down onto the towel, her lips finding Kara’s. 

“Is this better?”

Kara smiles against her, “Much better.”

Lena rolls off of Kara, leaning on her elbows as she takes in the ocean in front of them. Kara flips over and mimics Lena’s position, resting her had on Lena’s shoulder. They stay like this for a few minutes, watching the seagulls flying overhead and listening to the sound of the pounding waves. Kara eventually shifts so that her head rests in her arms, followed by heavy breathing that tells Lena she’s fallen asleep. 

A half-hour into the nap (and a few reviews of financial reports later), Kara rouses. She looks around groggily until she finds Lena. 

“Hey!” she mumbles out sleepily, “I thought we’d agreed…vacation!”

Lena laughs and returns the paperwork to her bag, “I’m done, I’m done. Promise!” She stands, holding out a hand indicating that Kara should follow, “It’s time to do what we came here for.”

Kara rolls over onto her back, wiping at her eyes underneath the sunglasses, “You know, I’m pretty comfortable right here.”

“Kara.”

No response.

“Kara.”

Nothing. 

“Kara Danvers-“Lena reaches down, picking up Kara underneath the armpits in an attempt to lift her to her feet, gritting her teeth “-I will carry you if I have to.” She stumbles under Kara’s weight, “My God, woman, you’re a bag of bricks.”

Kara, still unresponsive, plays dead-weight into Lena’s hands, causing Lena to slip under the extra pressure, her feet unable to gain any traction. She falls hard onto the sand.

“Kara!” Lena gives a soft punch to Kara’s arm, “Kara Danvers, we are going in the ocean whether you like it or not.”

Kara finally sits up to face Lena, who is staring her down, covered in sand. She leans forward, gives Lena a quick kiss before running towards the shoreline. 

“Wait! Hey!” Lena struggles to find her balance and races to catch up with the sprinting Kara. She finally does when Kara stops as the water laps at her ankles. Lena skids past, her hand brushing Kara’s in an attempt to grab a hold of it. Her momentum carries her past, however, and she is forced to make her way back to where Kara stands. 

“Come onnnnn!” Lena takes Kara’s hand and tugs gently. “One step at a time. There you go. And another. Another.”

Kara sighs, gingerly placing each foot, one in front of the other, in the water as the couple makes their way further out in the waves. She gasps as a wave hits at her stomach, the chill of the water not what she had expected. 

“Lenaaaa-“ Kara calls out to her girlfriend, still within reach, but a few steps ahead “-don’t leave me!”

Lena turns around, laughing as she retreats back to where Kara has stopped her advance. 

“I don’t understand. There’s…there’s things in there,” Kara wraps her arms around herself and gives a disdainful look towards the waters in front of her. “Why are we out here?”

Lena pulls Kara out further, “Because it’s fun!” She ducks underneath an oncoming wave, avoiding the force of it as it breaks on top of an unsuspecting Kara. She splutters, wiping the saltwater from her face, grateful that the sunglasses had stayed in place. 

“This. Is not. Fun,” Kara spits out, having accidentally swallowed some ocean water, and unable to control her coughing. 

Lena pops up from underneath, “Did you swallow…? Oh Kara, I’m sorry. If you go-“

Suddenly Kara screams, flinging herself into Lena’s arms, “SOMETHING TOUCHED ME. SOMETHING TOUCHED ME.”

Lena reaches down into the water, pulling a long strand of seaweed that had wrapped itself around Kara’s leg, “I got it, I got it. You’re safe.”

Kara flicks water at the seaweed as it floats away and mutters, “Good riddance.”

Lena, amused, allows the frightened blonde to cling to her as she half-walks half-swims even further away from the beach. 

“I think here is good. We don’t need to go any further. A perfectly good place to stop. Lena. Lena Luthor, are you listening to me?” Kara rambles as she hangs onto Lena. 

When she finally stops treading through the water, she turns to face Kara, who is still furrowing her eyebrows in disgust. Lena reaches up and rubs out the crease that has formed on Kara’s forehead. The blonde softens at the touch and manages a limp smile. 

“This is why I love it so much,” Lena says as they bob slightly in the rolling waves. “It’s quiet. No Mother to ruin it. No paperwork.” She looks to Kara, “Just us.”

“I guess…I guess it’s not so bad,” Kara admits. “As long as-“

But she’s cut off by Lena suddenly exclaiming “LOOK OUT” before she disappears under water. Kara barely has time to register what is happening before a giant wave breaks right on top of her. She feels herself get rolled beneath the water, right-side-up becomes upside-down, water fills her ears, gets in her nose, in her mouth. It seems like it lasts forever until Kara is finally standing, her feet finding the sand at last. She’s been pushed forward by several feet and Lena is nowhere to be seen. 

“I. HATE. The ocean.” Kara spits out the saltwater, hands on her knees, feeling herself nearly gag. She hasn’t felt this disoriented since she fought Reactron. And that was a doozy. The sound of splashing water causes Kara to turn around and she sees Lena quickly making her way towards her. 

“Kara! Kara, oh Kara honey, I’m so so so so sorry,” Lena reaches her and pulls her into a hug, “I tried to warn you, but it was too late. I’m sorry.” 

She pulls back to wipe the hair and seaweed from Kara’s face, “Are you ok?” 

As Lena asks the question, her words slow and her fingers linger on Kara’s cheek, her thumb swiping softly over her eyebrow. The sunglasses Kara had been wearing are long gone, lost in the tumult of the wave. 

Kara realizes what’s happened as Lena’s mouth forms a soft ‘O’.   
Supergirl smiles sheepishly in response.   
Nearly drowned and covered in seaweed.


	10. First Firing, First Look

Voicemail. Again. 

Lena hangs up the phone and sighs. The communication between her and Kara Danvers has slowly dissipated over the past couple of weeks. Usually, their conversations are a daily thing, whether it’s texting or phone calls. 

It all changed, however, the night Supergirl rescued her from her fall off the balcony. Afterwards, the heroine had claimed her not-so-anonymous tip had come from Kara Danvers herself and Lena hadn’t been at all surprised. The two were close, it was obvious. They were constantly talking about each other and had made it quite clear that they were friends. Lena was just grateful that she was finally included into a circle of friends. Where people appreciate her for her. And not set her aside quickly because of her name. Kara and Supergirl treated her like a person, something that wasn’t a usual occurrence in Lena’s life. 

But for some strange reason, well, not necessarily strange, this newfound friendship was turning into all the others. It was that they simply never last. 

Lena is used to being brushed off. Casual excuses such as being too busy. Days become weeks. Weeks become months. Pretty soon you never talk. You never see each other. You stop thinking about each other. They stop thinking about her. Not Lena. She remembers all of them. The ‘friends’ she had once had, who, upon learning exactly where she came from, let her down. Like all the rest. 

And it turns out Kara Danvers and her superhero sidekick are no different. 

Joke’s on me, Lena thinks. 

The rest of the morning passes in its regular manner: uneventful and busy. Lena attempts to filter through the numerous grant proposals on her desk but can’t seem to find it within herself to focus. As much as she wants to let go of the cold shoulder she’s getting from Kara, she can’t. Of all the people that have let her drop away, Kara Danvers is the last person she wants to allow to slip through her fingers. It couldn’t be on purpose. That’s not who she is. Kara is kind and thoughtful. She lights up a room when she enters, bringing happiness and optimism. She isn’t one to merely forget. She stands up for people. She stands up for me. 

Lena stands, her mind set. If Kara won’t answer her calls, then she’ll just have to take care of this the old-fashioned way. 

++++

CatCo is surprisingly quiet when Lena exits the elevator and makes her way to Kara’s office. Everyone is going about their business in a hushed quietness that is not characteristic of the media giant’s reputation. From afar, Lena can hear James Olsen talking to his assistant. He sounds frustrated. And tired. 

Lena breathes in deeply, stepping back quickly to avoid a rushing junior editor speeding past with a stack of papers. No one notices that she’s there. No one seems to care. 

She approaches the door to Kara’s office extremely hesitant. It’s not usually closed. Kara likes to leave it open as she hums through her reports and research. Lena, brows furrowed, knocks softly. There’s no answer. She knocks again, this time a little harder. No answer. Third time’s a charm. Even the Avon ladies are more persistent. Nothing. 

Lena turns around to leave, shoving her hands deep in the pockets of her coat, and finds herself face-to-face with James. 

“Lena! This is unexpected. What brings you to CatCo?”

“James. I came looking-“ Lena glances back at the closed door “-for Kara. She’s not answering.”

James nods slowly and looks down at his shoes before catching Lena’s gaze, “She uh…she, Kara, doesn’t work here anymore.”

Lena starts, “Excuse me?”

“Kara. She’s not here. She got-“ James scratches his head uncomfortably “-fired.”

“Fired.” 

“Right. That blog article she posted…Snapper had a field day, he, uh, he let her go.”

Lena tries to process this information, but is unable to grasp at what James is saying, “But that was two weeks ago. She wrote that article two weeks ago.”

“Yeah, Miss Luthor-“

“Lena.”

“Lena, I’m sorry. I haven’t really heard from her lately. She’s with that Mike guy and busy with…stuff,” James catches himself. 

“And who is Mike? Mike of the interns?” Lena questions, whispering the last sentence. She can’t believe it. Mike of the interns? That Mike? The Mike Kara hadn’t wanted at the gala? The Mike that she never even talks about. That Mike? 

“Yeah, he’s…they’re…dating now,” James sounds about as disgusted as Lena and they both stand in awkward silence. 

Lena breaks it, taking hold of the strap of her purse, “Ok…Ok. Well. Thank you, James. I’ll, I’ll just try her at home then.”

James smiles and Lena can see the underlying sadness. She sighs and returns the smile.

++++

The windows of Kara’s apartment are dark, the curtains pulled shut, as Lena stands outside of the building, looking up. It’s still worth a shot, she thinks, adjusting the bags full of food she’s brought along with her. 

Lena may not have known Kara for very long, but what she does know is that Kara loved her job. She loved giving the public the facts, the truth. That she had been fired and then stopped talking to everyone is not a good sign. 

Once again, there’s no answer when Lena knocks. She can make out, however, a dim glow escaping from underneath the door. Lena knocks louder, determined not to give up. Still nothing. 

“Kara!” Lena leans her head towards the crack of the door, impatiently waiting for an answer. There is none. She tries again, “Kara. Kara, darling, are you home?”

The question came out more affectionate than Lena had planned. Yes, they had gotten lunch together multiple times over the past couple of months and told each other stories of their past that many others did not know, but still. Lena cringes at this and squeezes her eyes shut, suddenly hoping that Kara isn’t home and hadn’t heard the mistake. 

But she had.

A muffled voice calls out, “It’s open.”

Lena slowly opens the door into the dark apartment, lit only by a small lamp near the couch. She deposits the food onto the kitchen counter, taking in the piles of take-out boxes and unwashed dishes. The living room is in the same state, covered in empty containers and piles of blankets.

“Kara?” Lena calls out. She maneuvers her way through the apartment, side-stepping piles of mess. 

There’s the shuffling of sheets coming from the bedroom and Lena turns at the sound. 

“L-Lena?” her name comes out as a sob and Lena quickly moves towards the bed where a broken Kara Danvers lies. Still in semi-darkness, Lena comes to the edge of the bed, kneeling down next to Kara, who reaches out and wraps her arms around Lena. They stay like this for a few minutes, Kara shaking as the tears begin to flow, the sobs wracking her body as she struggles to find air to breathe. Lena gently rubs her back in reassurance, resting her head on Kara’s. 

After a moment, Lena finally asks, “Kara, where’s Mike?”

“I don’t know,” the response is quiet and pained before the tears come back, this time even harder. 

Lena’s heart breaks as she holds her. Her fingers continue to make small circles on Kara’s back, working their way into Kara’s hair, twirling the golden locks in into loose curls. 

“I thought I could just be one. I thought I didn’t need both. That he would be enough, “Kara hiccups her way through her words, still clutching at Lena. “And that, that I wouldn’t need Kara. But I AM Kara. I am. That’s me, I can’t…” Kara starts speaking faster, repeating the phrase until Lena pulls back from the hug. 

“Kara, Kara, breathe. Of course you’re you. You’re Kara and that’s more than enough,” Lena takes Kara’s face in her hands. She wipes the tears and strands of hair from her cheeks. “You’re my hero, remember? No job, no person, can ever change that. ”

Lena leans in a little closer, resting her forehead against Kara’s, “And, frankly, Snapper’s a dick.”

Kara laughs at this, her hand reaching up to wipe her nose. 

In the semi-darkness, Lena can make out the distress in Kara’s eyes, the sadness that she’d seen earlier in James’s. As her own eyes adjust to the lighting she sees a little more, realizing that Kara isn’t wearing her glasses. Lena sits back as the pieces fall into place in her mind. 

Kara rubs her eyes, “I just never thought I’d have to give up being Kara…”

But as she says this, Lena figures it out. The uncanny resemblance, the close ‘friendship’, the adamancy of being Kara…

Lena interrupts with a whisper, “But you’re not Kara.”

Kara stops, “…what?”

Lena looks over to the nightstand, where the glasses sit, then back to the girl in front of her. 

“You’re Supergirl.”

And for an instant that’s who Lena sees.  
Not an unemployed Kara.  
But Supergirl. Covered in blankets.  
And every bit the hero Lena knows her to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love all of your kind comments!! They mean a lot, honest.  
> And your many suggestions for Kara losing her glasses haha it's getting harder and harder to think of new ways.  
> Happy Thursday!


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